


Ogallala

by NebraskaWildfire



Category: Alias Smith and Jones
Genre: outlaw days
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-28
Updated: 2019-09-28
Packaged: 2020-10-30 01:17:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20806112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NebraskaWildfire/pseuds/NebraskaWildfire
Summary: The boys of Devil’s Hole have an interesting time in Ogallala, Nebraska.





	Ogallala

Hannibal Heyes was annoyed.

Much stronger words to explain his current mood were circling though his head, but as they were trying to keep a low profile, he kept them to himself. Ever since they had ridden into town, things had not gone well. 

The last job they had pulled, robbing the First National Bank in Sidney, Nebraska, had also not gone quite as he had planned, but it did end up being lucrative. They had given the posse the slip by dropping down across the border into Colorado, rather than returning to Devil’s Hole, as expected. They had come away with enough money that the boys were ready for some recreation. Heyes brought them back up into Nebraska to the freewheeling town of Ogallala. With the cattle drives from Texas at their peak for the year, there should have been enough rowdy cowboys in town, that a few trail-worn boys, who might be a bit too handy with their guns, would blend right in with the others hurrahing the town.

As Heyes stalked past several saloons on the trail leading to the Platte River, he settled his hat lower on his head. Already Wheat had gotten into a fight in The Cowboy’s Rest, Preacher had been thrown out of Tuck’s Place for passing out, twice, on the floor, and Heyes himself had almost been shot over a disagreement with the results of a poker hand in the Crystal Palace. Luckily for him, the Kid had been there, as always, to back him up and give him time to talk his way out of the predicament.

Even though he was certain that the boys weren’t ready to leave town and head back to the Hole, Heyes was trying to figure out a plan to accomplish just that. He had enough of Nebraska and had sent the Kid to start to round up the gang. As he was passing the front of yet another saloon, a drunk cowboy staggered out the batwing doors and hurled the contents of his night’s celebrating into the street, just barely missing Heyes’ boots.

“Oh, for the love of…” Heyes started complaining. He looked up to see Kid Curry coming down the street, accompanied by Lobo and a couple of the other boys. Maybe they’d get out of this town before there was more trouble.

“Hey, Kid. Did you find the rest of the boys?”

“Not yet, but Preacher is sleeping it off in the livery stable, so he won’t be going anywhere. But Heyes…”

“Good. Now where are Wheat and Kyle?”

“Didn’t I just say, I’ve not found them yet?”

“Yeah, Kid, but…”

“Heyes, we got worse trouble.” Blue eyes met brown. 

“What now?” Heyes huffed.

“Sheriff’s back in town.” 

“Well, we’ll just avoid him and hightail it outta here…”

“Heyes. It’s Tuhy. From Greeley.”

“Ah…well that just about does it.” Heyes grabbed his hat off his head, ran his hand through his shaggy dark hair, and settled the hat back even lower on his head. He looked back to Curry.

“So…Wheat and Kyle?” He looked around at the other gang members. “Where’d anyone see them last?”

“There’s a caravan of gypsy wagons on the edge of town,” Lobo said. “Kyle was all anxious to get his fortune told, after he was almost blowed up there in Sidney.” He glanced at Heyes, who sighed and resisted taking his hat off yet again.

“Yes, I know we had the wrong information about the safe in the First National. They were supposed to have that new model, which is why I told Kyle we needed that much dynamite. How was I to know that the train track had washed out and they hadn’t been able to deliver it yet?”

Kid noticed a tall man with a shiny tin star coming down the street. “Heyes…”

Hannibal Heyes glanced the same way and started to edge the boys towards an alley. “Lobo, take the boys and see who else you can round up, and then head to the livery.” With another casual look toward the street, he hurried them towards the back of the buildings. “Kid and I will see if we can find Wheat and Kyle.”

As Lobo had said, when Heyes and Curry had made their way to the edge of the town, they saw several of the brightly painted wagons circled there. A tent was set up, advertising everything from games of chance to dancing girls. There was quite a crowd milling around, interested in something besides the normal beer and poker the saloons were offering.

Off to one side was a purple and orange wagon, with a sign that said,“Fortunes told, Future revealed.” Wheat was leaning up against the side of the caravan, looking bored, but then a bit embarrassed when he spotted Heyes and the Kid coming towards him.

“Howdy boys. I was just waitin’ on Kyle. He got this darn fool notion in his head that he needed to have his fortune told.” Wheat glanced at Heyes. “On account of that problem with the dynamite over in Sidney.”

This time Heyes did take off his hat and run his fingers through his hair. “Yeah, yeah, I know, Wheat.” He looked towards the wagon. “You figure he’s about done? We gotta get outta here, and right quick. Sheriff Tuhy from Greeley is here.”

Wheat looked concerned and glanced back at the wagon. “Sheesh, Heyes. This just ain’t our week. I’ll go see if I can hurry him up. She didn’t take this long with me.”

The Kid smiled at Wheat. “You had your fortune told too?”

Wheat looked uncomfortable. “Well, yeah, Kyle really wanted to do this, but then when we got here, he wasn’t sure. I just went ahead so he’d get comfortable, and we could get back to the saloon.” He hitched up his gun belt. “Fool woman told me I’d be rich someday. Couldn’t even tell I was rich already from the haul from Sidney.” He headed toward the caravan, but just then Kyle came out looking a bit dazed.

“Howdy, Heyes, Kid.” Kyle had a small but pleased smile on his face.

“What’d she tell you?” Wheat asked Kyle and sniggered. “That you’d be rich, like me?”

“Nah, Wheat.” Kyle smiled. “She told me to be more careful around the dynamite, but that I’d get me a girl soon!”

Wheat snorted. “Shoot Kyle, I could’a told you that, once we got back to the saloon.”

“Nah, Wheat, she wasn’t talking about that…” Kyle started to explain.

All of a sudden Heyes looked concerned. “Kyle, what did you tell her about the dynamite? You didn’t tell her we robbed the First National over to Sidney, did you?”

“Nah, Heyes.” Kyle reassured his gang leader. “I wouldna do such a thing.” He paused and looked thoughtful. “She knew all about the dynamite, even afore I told her.”

“Oh, great.” Heyes slapped his hat back on his head and looked over at Curry. “Not only do we have a suspicious sheriff, but now even the gypsies must know who we are.”

Kid Curry put a hand on his cousin’s shoulder. “Heyes. Look at Kyle. He’s not taken a bath since well before Sidney. He sort of reeks of blast powder.” He shrugged and smiled. “Maybe she thought he was a miner.”

Heyes refused to be placated. “Kid, we’re at least a couple hundred miles from any working mines.”

“Railroad?” Wheat chimed in.

Heyes turned and rounded on Wheat, ready to give his opinion on what he thought of that idea, when the door to the purple and orange caravan opened. A dark-haired woman, neither young or old, swathed in skirts, scarves, and beads, came out to stand on the stoop.

“Do I have another customer, or two?” She looked at Curry and Heyes.

The Kid smiled at her, tipped his hat, and said, “No, ma’am. We need to be on our way.” He turned to Wheat and Kyle. “Why don’t you boys head on over to the livery and get the horses ready, while we see who else needs rounded up?”

Wheat glanced at the woman, ready to be away from the caravans. “Sure, boys. See you soon.” He turned to head off.

Kyle turned back to the woman and smiled. “Thank you kindly, Madam Velma. I right enjoyed myself.” He followed off after Wheat, heading back to the saloon row.

The Kid touched his hat again, and he and Heyes started off in the direction of the town.

“Please wait!” Madam Velma called out. The Kid turned around and Heyes paused, looking slightly annoyed.

“The spirits tell me there is a future you need to know.”

“We thank you kindly ma’am, but we really need to be headin’ out,” Kid Curry replied. He turned again and started off with Heyes at his side.

“It is vital that you know this,” Velma started off the caravan, and snagged Heyes’ shirt.

Heyes looked down at her. “Ma’am, we really don’t have time.” He turned yet again, until she continued.

“I have a message from your parents.”

Heyes stilled. He turned and looked at the woman with the full force of his intense personality. “Ma’am. Our parents are dead.”

“I know.” She returned his look, seeming to peer into his soul. “They say you need help.”

His silver tongue stilled, Heyes turned to look at his cousin.

“Ma’am,” Curry began. “We probably are beyond help.”

She shook her head. “They say you can still be redeemed.”

Heyes turned back to Madam Velma. His eyes didn’t sparkle, but he half grinned that self-deprecating smile of his. “Ma’am, if you only knew.” He looked shrewdly at her, wondering what she had heard about them. “I doubt very much if our parents would talk to us after all we’ve done.”

She returned his crooked smile, and said, “They say they love you still, as they always have.” 

Again, she rendered Heyes speechless. She turned towards the Kid and saw the hurt in his eyes.

“Ma’am, I don’t know what kind of game you’re playin’, but this isn’t kind.”

She approached both of the boys. Kid Curry backed off a bit, but Heyes was still, staring at her. She reached out for their hands and brought them together. She graced them with a loving smile that lit up her eyes as well.

“Your parents tell me that you will have an opportunity soon to change your lives. They say you must take it. It will be your last chance.” She looked intently first at Heyes, and then at Curry. “Will you do this for them?”

Heyes fumbled for a reply. “Ma’am…”

She grasped their shoulders and asked again. “Will you promise that you will do this for them?”

The Kid looked at Heyes. Heyes smiled at the woman, his eyes looking inward, remembering.

“Ma’am, if our parents can figure out a way to help us still, we’ll do whatever they ask.”

The Kid looked at her, really looked at her, and met her gaze. “How will we know what they ask?”

She smiled and said, “You will know, when it comes.” 

She hugged the boys and then released them. “Now go. It is not yet time, so you need to leave town before the sheriff finds you.” She turned and climbed the stairs of her caravan, stopping to look back at them one last time. 

“May you find peace, Han and Jed.” She entered her caravan and closed the door behind her.

The cousins shared a look, a deep sigh, and a scrub of the face.

Suddenly they heard a commotion from the main street that sounded suspiciously like a posse gathering. After another shared look, they hightailed it for the livery.

Several days later, they were on the high plains of Wyoming, in route to Devil’s Hole. They had finally slowed down, after leaving the posse far behind. There hadn’t been much talking along the way, other than directives from Heyes and Curry, to keep the boys moving and safe.

Heyes had been leading the group, but now he gave over to Lobo and the Preacher and dropped back to ride with his cousin. For a mile or so, they rode in silence. The Kid had a thoughtful look on his face. He and Heyes slowed down and a gap formed between them and the rest of the gang.

“Heyes.”

“Yeah, Kid.”

“What do you think she meant?”

“I dunno.”

“But she knew who we were, Heyes.”

“She probably found that out from the town folk.”

“But Heyes, no one has called us Han and Jed, since…”

“Yeah, I know, Kid.”

They were silent for a while.

“Do you think we’ll know?”

Hannibal Heyes glanced sideways at his cousin and gave him a brilliant half smirk of a smile. “Kid, if they figure out a way to help us, I promise you, we’ll figure out a way to do it.”

Kid Curry looked thoughtful. He took a deep breath, looked back at his cousin, the only family he knew who was still watching over him. “Okay Heyes. Together?”

“Together, Kid. As always.”

They rode into the west and the setting sun.

**Author's Note:**

> Many folks many not think of Nebraska as part of the Wild West, but not only did the Pony Express and Transcontinental Railroad cross the state along the Platte River Valley, but also the Oregon Trail and Mormon Trail. There are still places where you can see ruts after 150 years, they were cut so deep. There are Native Lands of the Omaha and Ponca in eastern Nebraska, and the Oglala Lakota Sioux just across the border in southwestern South Dakota at Pine Ridge. The university used to offer Lakota Sioux in the Language department and still does have a degree in Great Plains Studies. Western Nebraska has never had a population density of more than 2 people per square mile. In the boys’ time there were still some farmers out west, but the Sandhills in western Nebraska have always been best for raising cattle.
> 
> http://www.ogallala-ne.gov/visitors/history_of_ogallala/index.php


End file.
